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Tag: I&B minister

  • Aim to make India content sub-continent of the world: Anurag Thakur at Dubai Expo

    Aim to make India content sub-continent of the world: Anurag Thakur at Dubai Expo

    Mumbai: India aims to be the content sub-continent of the world, the minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur said on Monday, the concluding day of his three-day visit to Expo 2020 in Dubai. The union minister was there to hold a conversation with actor Ranveer Singh on ‘The Global Reach of Indian Media & Entertainment Industry” at the India pavilion.

    During the discussion, the minister acknowledged the contribution of films in India’s soft power project. “India is a land of storytelling and the film industry has left a great impact on people of foreign countries who identify India for its films,” he said, adding that, “This can generate millions of jobs in India and create content for the whole world.” 

    The India Pavilion at the Dubai Expo pulled 1.7 million visitors and Thakur observed that Indian people in Dubai are the real ambassadors of India.

    He also admired Ranveer Singh’s acting, recalling his performances from various films.

    “Indian content is on the cusp of making its presence felt on the world stage,” said Singh. “Indian entertainment is going to explode globally. Our stories resonate with people and transcend cultural boundaries and Indians abroad connect with India through films.”

    Earlier during the day, the I&B minister held a discussion with Dubai Corp for Tourism and Commerce Marketing CEO Issam Kazim on various strategies adopted by Dubai in respect of the tourism sector to make it a preferred tourism destination for the world.

    During the meeting the minister commended Dubai for organising the Expo which has been a great success despite the pandemic. Highlighting the importance of Dubai on the tourism map of the world, he remarked that Indians have preferred to fly to Dubai over western capitals like London during these pandemic years.

    Kazim mentioned that Dubai’s success has been possible owing to the decisive leadership with a focused target. He talked about Dubai authority’s strategy during Covid-19 when the city was shut down in March 2020. The authorities adopted a completely new strategy and ensured restrictions and protocols. Vaccinations and PCR tests were made mandatory for travellers and that Dubai was the first city to open up for tourists.

    “Dubai is targeting to get 25 million  tourists by 2025 and become the world’s most visited city,” said Kazim. “The city focuses on aspects like marketing Dubai so that people feel comfortable to come, making it easier to set up businesses, promoting Dubai as the best city to live in, promoting FDI, inviting tech companies, improving connectivity through Emirate airlines and infrastructure development.” He also mentioned that Dubai is also exploring the crypto currency space, although it is risky and unregulated for now.

    Kazim highlighted that India has great potential in tourism. “India can utilise the unique aspects of key cities/states and focus on their strengths,” he said. “Also, India’s IT talent benefits the global industry which can be promoted as strength.”

    Thakur invited Kazim to visit India to further discuss collaboration opportunities in the tourism and media and entertainment sector.

  • I&B minister Anurag Thakur to visit Dubai to promote Indian M&E sector

    I&B minister Anurag Thakur to visit Dubai to promote Indian M&E sector

    Mumbai: The information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur will be on a three-day official visit to Dubai between 26-28 March to attend a CEO roundtable with leading personalities of cinema exhibition and television world.

    The I&B minister will also visit the India pavilion at the Dubai Expo where media and entertainment week has been going on throughout the week. He will meet ministers and industry leaders during the visit.

    The CEO roundtable on Saturday will be attended by Vox Cinemas CEO Ignace Lahoud, Star Cinemas COO Satyajit Pendharkar, Channel 2 Group founder MD Ajay Sethi, ARN Group’s Vivek Sethia and Mathew Johnson, Star TV head – international business Sudhir Nagpal.

    On Sunday, Thakur will visit the India pavilion at the Dubai Expo to participate in the event ‘celebrating and taking Indian media and entertainment industry global.’ Eminent film personality Ranveer Singh is likely to join the minister during the visit, according to the statement.

    The minister will interact with many leaders of the sector during his visit to the pavilion including Dubai Film and TV Commission Jamal Al Sharif and Dubai Development Authority on 28 March.

    The minister will meet a range of people to promote India’s interests in the sector including HH Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, HE Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, minister of culture and youth Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, International Humanitarian City member of the board and director general of Dubai’s department of tourism and commerce marketing (Dubai Tourism) E Helal Saeed Almarri Nahyan, Sharjah Media City chairman HE Dr Khalid Omar Al Midfa, department of culture and tourism and twofour54 chairman HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Sharjah Media City managing director H.E. Shihab Alhammadi, Tecom Group group CEO Malek Al Malek, Dubai Media City managing director Majed Al Suwaidi, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City at Tecom group, Galadari Brothers Group co-chairman Suhail Galadari, Gulf News chairman Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah and Middle East Broadcasting Center founder and chairman Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim.

  • MIB prohibited transmission of 15 TV channels since 2019: Anurag Thakur

    MIB prohibited transmission of 15 TV channels since 2019: Anurag Thakur

    Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has prohibited the transmission of 15 channels for violations under the uplinking/downlinking and of the programme code since 2019, minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

    Thakur also said that the ministry has issued directions for blocking 56 YouTube-based news channels and their social media accounts for public access during 2021-22 under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics) Rules 2021.

    Between 2014-2021, the ministry of electronics and information technology also exercised its powers under Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to block 25,369 URLs, consisting of web pages, websites, pages on social media accounts etc.

    The Lok Sabha questioned the minister whether the government is authorised to impose broadcast bans on TV channels and if it has outlined any policy for the same. It also asked if the government has put a redressal mechanism in place to hear the grievances of the channels.

    The minister informed the Lok Sabha that all private satellite TV channels are granted permission by the ministry under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines, 2011 and are required to adhere to the terms and conditions of such permission including adherence to the programme code and advertisement code and other provisions laid down under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

    He further noted that the grant of permission to a satellite TV channel under the guidelines is subject to security clearance by the ministry of home affairs as per the procedure laid down by it.

    To address the grievances of TV channels, the government follows the due process of law and laid down the process before taking a decision to suspend/prohibit a channel. “Grievances related to the uplinking/downlinking guidelines are addressed by the ministry,” said Thakur.

    The Lok Sabha also asked if the government had conveyed a detailed explanation of why MediaOne was not allowed to continue their broadcasting to the channel management. To which the I&B minister replied, “The government has followed due process of law and the laid down procedure before taking a decision regarding the cancellation of permission to TV news channel ‘Media One’. The matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court.”

    He further informed the Lok Sabha that details of channels whose permission has been cancelled for violation of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines are available on the I&B ministry’s Broadcast Seva portal.

  • We want to make India a powerhouse of content creation: I&B minister Anurag Thakur

    We want to make India a powerhouse of content creation: I&B minister Anurag Thakur

    Mumbai: Terming India as the world’s largest filmmaker, union minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur said a lot needs to be done to make India a powerhouse of content creation in the world.

    Addressing the closing ceremony of the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India on Sunday, the union minister said there was also a need to scale up regional festivals. “We want to make India the post-production hub of the world by leveraging immense tech talent of youth. We want to make India the destination for films and festivals, we want to make India the hub of world cinema, and the most favoured place for storytellers.”

    Thakur said the government is committed to strengthening the National Film Development Council (NFDC). “Through this, you will get the opportunity to make even such films which are doubtful of giving a financial return, we will work together to showcase India’s culture and tradition across the world.”

    The minister also invited the global community to come and shoot films in India. “Please come and shoot films in India. The Film Facilitation Office will facilitate you with all help you need, from one state to another.” Speaking about the upcoming film city in Uttar Pradesh, the minister said that the state is coming up with a 1000-acre film city. “They are just waiting for the right people to come and invest in.”

    Keeping up with the winds of change, the latest edition of IFFI also saw the historic participation of all major OTT platforms such as Netflix, and Amazon Prime through exclusive Masterclasses, content launches and previews, curated film package screenings, and various other on-ground and virtual events. The participation of OTT platforms is set to become a regular feature in future.

    “More than 50 films were screened simultaneously on OTT platforms. 10 Master classes and In-Conversation sessions were organised in collaboration with OTT platforms,” said Thakur. “IFFI has embraced new technologies, platform choices of audiences and has kept pace with changing times. We have also showcased the best films from BRICS nations and we hope that this partnership blossoms further.”

    The 52nd IFFI presented a diverse catalogue of more than 148 foreign films drawn from 73 countries, and witnessed 12 world premieres, seven international premieres, 24 Asia premiers and 74 India premieres. 75 Indian films were screened, 17 of them specially selected under India @75 Section. As many as 10,000 delegates from across the world, including filmmakers, students and cine enthusiasts participated in a hybrid format. There were 234 screenings in which nearly 450 hours of movies were screened. Total hours watched online comes to a whopping 30,000 plus hours.

    Hungarian filmmaker Istevan Szabo and Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese received the coveted Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. Noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi and actor Hema Malini were awarded with Indian Film Personality of the Year Award.

    “The next edition of IFFI will be held next year at the same time and place as that of this edition, i.e., during November 20 – 28, 2022 in Goa,” said the union minister.

  • Need immediate resumption of viewership ratings: NBF to Anurag Thakur

    Need immediate resumption of viewership ratings: NBF to Anurag Thakur

    Mumbai: Governing board members and senior member broadcasters of News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) met with the minister of information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, on Tuesday.

    During the meeting, members of NBF highlighted the need for the immediate resumption of viewership ratings for the news genre. The ratings “have been unilaterally paused and have severely impacted the sustainability of news channels”, they said. 

    The new broadcast body apprised the I&B minister of key issues facing the news industry, recent growth and trends in the broadcasting sector, and challenges faced by news broadcasters in recent times.

    “It was a pleasure to meet and exchange views with the NBF governing board led by Arnab Goswami,” said Anurag Thakur. “It was a productive exchange of views and I look forward to engaging with the NBF on issues regarding news broadcasting and the role of news broadcasting in strengthening our democracy,” he added.

    The NBF governing board informed the minister about key initiatives undertaken by the body to provide greater representation to channels broadcasting in various languages and on further steps to strengthen regulation among member channels.

    The NBF delegation included Republic Media Network, editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami; TV9 News Network, CEO, Barun Das; Prag News, founder/MD, Sanjive Narain; Pride East Entertainment, chairperson/MD, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma; ITV Network founder/promoter, Kartikeya Sharma; Fourth Dimension, CEO, Shankar Bala; TV9 Bharatvarsh, news director, Hemant Sharma; News Nation, editor-in-chief, Manoj Gairola; MHOne, chairperson, Mahendra Bhatla; Newsfirst Kannada, business head, Divaakar S; NBF and Eshita, secretary-general, and associate for policy and regulations of NBF, R Jai Krishna.

    “The meeting of NBF members with the Minister was a wonderful opportunity to apprise him about the steps we have taken to build India’s largest federation of news broadcasters,” said NBF president Arnab Goswami. “The Minister has heard our views and concerns in detail and we look forward to working with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make the news broadcasting sector even stronger.”

    Shankar Bala called the meeting “path-breaking” and said, “We have particularly stated that it is essential to release the viewership ratings for news channels, which were unilaterally stopped. The resumption of the publication of news ratings will ensure fair play and measurement-driven competitive news industry.”

    “The highly competitive news TV genre certainly needs a level-playing field for new promising players both in the national arena and regional markets. We felt extremely assured after our meeting today,” said Barun Das.

    “As a team, NBF put forth the problems we tend to face and the ways in which we want to raise and address our concerns. At least, we can go forward and help regional industries survive, like ours. The minister gave us a patient hearing and we are very grateful to the Ministry. We are now looking forward to the future and ways as to how we can progress together,” said Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

    “The minister heard out all the matters raised by various members of the NBF. I would like to thank the minister for hearing the viewpoints of all news channels from across India and from regional channels as well,” said Kartikeya Sharma.

  • I&B Minister Anurag Thakur meets the NBA Board

    I&B Minister Anurag Thakur meets the NBA Board

    New Delhi : The newly appointed union minister for Information and Broadcasting  Anurag Thakur met the board members of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on Saturday to discuss various pertinent issues concerning news channels and the broadcast industry.

    Led by NBA president and chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV, Rajat Sharma, the delegation included ABP Network CEO  Avinash Pandey, Zee News, editor-in-chief and CEO, Sudhir Chaudhary, News24 chairperson and managing director Anuradha Prasad Shukla, India Today Group vice chairperson Kalli Purie, and NDTV editorial director Sonia Singh.

    The discussions delved into various issues including that of attaining a stable regulatory climate in the industry and other positive changes that can be introduced in the television ecosystem.

    Speaking about the meeting, spokesperson of NBA said, “Effective communication is extremely important for us to uplift the broadcast industry and implement positive changes. The discussion helped us provide direction to various issues within the industry. We are looking forward to working closely with the union minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur to take the broadcast industry to greater heights.”

    Further, NBA members discussed the industry landscape in the post-COVID scenario and apprised the minister about their concerns. The meeting also threw light on creating a strong policy roadmap for growth in the post-Covid era for the broadcast industry. 

  • Cabinet Reshuffle: Javadekar resigns, Anurag Thakur takes charges as I&B minister

    Cabinet Reshuffle: Javadekar resigns, Anurag Thakur takes charges as I&B minister

    New Delhi: Lok Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh was appointed as the new minister of information and broadcasting (I&B), in one of the biggest cabinet reshuffles during the second term of the Modi government.

    Thakur, who took oath of office and secrecy as one of the new Cabinet ministers on Wednesday evening, along with 15 new cabinet ministers, succeeds Prakash Javadekar who stepped down ahead of the reshuffle. Javadekar is among the 12 senior ministers, who submitted their resignations. The list of outgoing ministers also includes minister of electronics and Information Technology (Meity), Ravi Shankar Prasad.

    The Hamirpur MP has also been given charge of the sports and youth affairs ministry, which was earlier under Kiren Rijiju. “I am thankful to prime minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah for giving me this chance. All possible efforts will be made to fulfil the duties,” he said.

    Thakur has been minister of state for finance and corporate affairs under finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman since 2019, when prime minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government began its second term. Since then, he has been a close aide of the finance minister and has witnessed the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic. The 46 years old MP has also been the president of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), and held the post from 2016 to 2017.

    As I&B Minister, he will have to steer the proposed Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which is currently in the stage of public consultation. Centre had sought public comments on the draft bill starting 18 June. However, the draft bill has invited criticism from the film fraternity, which has expressed concerns over its execution.

    Thakur’s appointment as the sports and youth affairs Minister comes close on the heels of Tokyo Olympics 2020, which begins on 23 July. Apart from taking care of athletes’ preparation on a ministerial level, he will also have to ensure that they conform to the strict stipulations regarding vaccination and other arrangements.

  • New IT guidelines not intended to control OTT platforms: I&B minister

    New IT guidelines not intended to control OTT platforms: I&B minister

    NEW DELHI: The government has attempted to provide a level-playing field for various digital platforms through the new guidelines on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, said union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, amid concerns that the new rules may pose a threat to the freedom of expression.

    The minister mentioned that digital technology platforms have played a key role in promoting transparency and introducing a corruption-free atmosphere in governance.

    “Through these guidelines on OTT, we have tried to bring about transparency and provide a level playing field to various media platforms, be it electronic, print, or digital media. It is just for fair-facilitation for self-regulation and not intended for controlling the OTT platforms,” said Javadekar, while speaking at a digital media conclave organised by a private TV network in Mumbai.

    The new rules released by the government on 25 February ask for a three-tier grievance system and content classification for digital platforms. First, self-regulation by the platform through a grievance redressal officer; second, by an institutional self-regulatory body of industry experts, and third level of oversight through an interdepartmental committee constituted by the government.

    While this may create a forum where users can voice their complaints, there are concerns that it could also lead to an increase of content-related disputes in the country. Several video streaming platforms are already mired in controversies over their content, the latest being Amazon Prime’s Tandav and Netflix’s Bombay Begums.

    The formulation of guidelines took place expeditiously, revealed Javadekar, with more than 50 cabinet meetings held virtually to ensure that there weren't any delays in the decision-making.

    The union minister also talked about the decision to broadcast the old Doordarshan TV series like Ramayana, Mahabharat during the pandemic and how it registered record-breaking viewership.

  • NBF seeks e-meeting with I&B minister to discuss stimulus package

    NBF seeks e-meeting with I&B minister to discuss stimulus package

    MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) has requested a video conference meeting with union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar to discuss a 'comprehensive stimulus package’ for news broadcasters' to overcome the impact of the economic and financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Said an official statement of the federation, “The NBF in its letter has sought an appointment with I&B minister for an e-meeting through video-conference, during this week as per his convenience and availability to bring to attention about the most pressing issues the industry is facing due to lockdown for combating the spread of COVID-19.”

    NBF is an association representing the combined interests of 300 TV news channels. The agenda of the meeting is to discuss and resolve the extraordinary situation the members of NBF are facing due to the lockdown while discharging the service to the society, reads the statement.

    The issues that would be discussed with the minister during the e-meeting are: satellite and bandwidth charges, Prasar Bharti and DD Freedish, DAVP pending payments, unrestricted availability of FTS new channels, governmental support and liquidity issues.

    The NBF delegation comprises president Arnab Goswami, vice-president Jaggi Mangat Panda, vice-president Shankar Bala, vice-president Sanjivie Narain, vice-president Kartikeya Sharma, and vice-president Riniki B Sharma, among others.

  • No assessment made on impact of NTO 2.0 on DD Free Dish: I&B minister

    No assessment made on impact of NTO 2.0 on DD Free Dish: I&B minister

    NEW DELHI: No assessment on the impact of new tariff order (NTO 2.0) on the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s free DTH platform DD Free Dish has been carried out by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), revealed I&B minister Prakash Javadekar in response to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari in the parliament.

    Tewari had asked whether TRAI has conducted an assessment of how regulations issued on 1 January 2020 impact the growth and popularity of Doordarshan’s Free Dish platform, to which Javadekar responded, “No such assessment has been conducted by TRAI.”

    He also added that the main objectives of the regulatory framework are to establish a harmonised business process in the sector, ensure level playing field, bring in transparency in TV channel pricing, reduce litigations among stakeholders and provide equal opportunities to smaller multi-system operators (MSOs).

    He also noted that TRAI notified the regulatory framework on 3 March 2017 for broadcasting and cable services after due consultation with the stakeholders. “In order to address the issues faced by the consumers, while balancing the interest of broadcasters as well as the distribution platform operators (DPOs) to create a level playing field, TRAI, after due consultation with the stakeholders, issued amendments to the regulatory framework for broadcasting and cable services sector on 01.01.2020.”